Heartbreak Over Newborn Girl’s Unusual Appearance and Cruel Comments
Last August, a 20-year-old woman in Libode, South Africa, gave birth to her first child at home with the help of locals after an ambulance couldn’t arrive in time. However, the joy of the new arrival turned into heartbreak when the mother saw her baby girl’s face. The girl had a wrinkled appearance that made her look “much older than her real age.”
Doctors later diagnosed her with Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome (HGPS), a rare genetic condition that causes premature aging, also known as Progeria. This syndrome, often compared to Benjamin Button from the movie, leads to a range of physical characteristics such as a small and weak skeleton, shallow jaw, and deviated nose.
Symptoms of HGPS include impaired growth, loss of body fat and hair, wrinkled skin, stiff joints, and various health issues like cardiovascular disease and stroke. Sadly, there is no cure for this condition as it’s caused by a specific gene mutation.
The girl’s grandmother recounted the family’s shock upon realizing something was different about the newborn. Tragically, they had to endure hurtful comments from strangers who cruelly compared her appearance to that of an “old lady.”
The family now faces the challenge of supporting their daughter and shielding her from hurtful comments. The grandmother shared her heartache over constantly hearing negative comments about her granddaughter, emphasizing the pain of such judgments on their family.
